‘Alien Megastructure’ Star Keeps Getting More Mysterious

A mysterious star that some astronomers believe could harbor an “alien megastructure,” continues to confound researchers. Over the past year, scientists have hypothesized that everything from a mass of comets to bad data or alien structures could be to blame for the unusual light curve. (Illustration)

A mysterious star that some astronomers believe could harbor an “alien megastructure,” continues to confound researchers.

A study accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal has only

By Mary BowermanUSA Today10-5-16

“deepened the mystery” surrounding the strange light pattern emitted from the star known as KIC 8462852.

…the strange dimming of KIC 8462852 suggests a large mass of matter is circling KIC 8462852. Over the past year, scientists have hypothesized that everything from a mass of comets to bad data or alien structures could be to blame for the unusual light curve. So far, nothing has been conclusive and attempts to identify radio signals from the star have been unfruitful. …